Friday, June 22, 2012

You might wonder why I have been delinquent in posting my weekly adventure. I was in the doghouse. Yes. Literally. Clearly the Aldridge's are forgetful of my age and expect me to be the perfect gentleman all of the time. I am .... afterall.... just a puppy.

I felt a little energetic a couple of days in the last week or so. I don't think I was really all that bad, but I did get sent to time-out on a few different occasions. I've been jumping and diving for my food. Not very polite I know but have you seen how skinny I am? I am a growing boy!

I was a Perfect Angel most of the days... Truthfully.... We had a chat and I agreed to be good.

Training
My training has been going very well. We have moved on from the foundation tasks to Crate Games. It is a lot of fun and I get more treats! I am supposed to be very polite when the crate door is opened and wait for the "ok" to come out. This will teach me that my crate is a great spot for me and I shouldn't have to be locked in. The problem is I get so excited to come out I forget my manners and jump all over Mrs. Aldridge. Have I told you that I'm a quick study? Truly. I only got waffle face a couple of times before I figured out the game. I think I have a lovely face and didn't really want the door closed on me. I'm the perfect gentleman now. Well mostly....Events
Exciting places I have visited in the last two weeks have been the Central Iowa SHRM Board meeting, Jason's Deli (please don't take me back there!), my brother Romey came for a sleep over and I got to go to Ames with Pacey (another service dog) for a wonderful event.

I'm learning that my behavior must be top-notch. I get praised all the time for how well I do. I must tell you Jason's Deli was a little too crowded and full of rich smells for me. I did settle down but it took a bit. Of course they were fabulous at the Deli.... it was just overwhelming for me. I worried about when I get bigger... just where will I sit!???

I think I'm off to a great start for this week and I'm getting more grown up all the time. My mission for this week is to gain a little weight and to tackle the escalators at Scheel's in Jordan Creek.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Hello! I'm happy to report this week has gone successfully and I did not get into any trouble. There was the minor incident with the white carpet and my inability to signal that I needed to go outside... but even Mrs. Aldridge said that was her fault. (Thank Goodness for that!).

Did you know that I am 3 1/2 months old? AND.... that I have been living with the Aldridges for nearly 2 of those months? Wow! Yes it's true! Our time together has gone by so fast.

Training
We did not have training this week so I missed my Brothers and Sister. It is fun to run around and wrestle with them. We practiced all of our foundation training and I must say I'm doing VERY WELL. I hear people comment on what a good dog I am. I may have to throw in some naughty behavior just to keep them guessing!
I like to chase balls and bring them back for treats. I hope I get to be a mobility dog so that I can help someone pick items up, open doors and assist with a variety of tasks. I'm so excited about my mission sometimes I forget myself and jump on humans. I'm so excited to tell them about my adventure. Of course Mrs. Aldridge continues to remind me that my feet "have to be on the floor". I so love to jump!

Outings
Have you ever been to Hessen House? Well they love me there and I would recommend the shaded tables on the patio to the little tables by the door. Boy is it hot. The nice lady waitress brought me my very own drink! It looked a little different than the Aldridge drinks (mine was clear!) and I did not get the German Mug to drink from. I was happy with the great service!
We went to many stores this week and public places and I have to brag that I did not misbehave one time. NOPE... not even once. I didn't even have any bathroom accidents. Does that mean I'm potty trained?

Doggy Daycare!!!
I continue to go to Canine Craze on Tuesday's and Thursday's. I TOTALLY love it there and I have heard Mrs. Aldridge say how much she loves dropping me off. Sometimes she is smiling so much - I think it is her way of saying she will miss me during the day. I get to play with my siblings AND 15 other new friends. Amazing. I'm always the Defensive Tackle.
Here are some pictures from my week and a link to more. Look how much I have grown!

This was me on my first day of work at IMT in April. I'm laying on John Bednarz's feet.

This is me almost two months later. Notice how big I am next to Mrs. Aldridge's feet!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

This week I struggled with jumping, chewing, barking and urinating. You know, normal puppy stuff.

I want to take a poll:

Do humans really dislike me chewing on them? Skin is so tasty and just the right firmness to bite! What fun I have with fingers and toes. Mrs. Aldridge tells me it isn't polite. It just means I like you!

I am allowed to chew my toothbrush. It cleans my teeth without me knowing it (I really do know it and have noticed my smile is a lot brighter!). I clean my teeth while she gets ready for work.

POOL TIME!
Maxwell Aldridge got his pool out this week and wanted me to play with him... I liked it when he was running up and down the hill - but DID NOT like getting into the cold pool with him. Have you seen that kid? Crazy. He is always jumping and barking. It is exhausting! We got treats for playing nicely but his treat did something very frightening to his face! I was a little scared.

See what I mean? Yikes.

I sure hope I am not placed with a Navy Seal that likes to swim... we'll have to negotiate that skill. I wasn't overly fond of that cold water!

DOG DISCOVERIES!
I discovered this week there is another dog living in MY HOUSE. Fortunately he only lives in the kitchen and doesn't bark. I have tried to get it to play with me or at the very least see what his name is.... but he just looks back at me.

The dog in the fridge isn't very playful!

The dog on TV is very interesting!

TRAINING!
I continue to learn how to perfect my service dog skill. I am working on Heal; Your Choice; Backing Up and Return to Spot. All of these maneuvers will give me a good foundation of service dog skill.

The Your Choice is particularly challenging! I have to resist things that fall from the sky. I AM A DOG!!! Do they know how hard it is not to run after things that catch my attention? I'd like to see them try it with falling Hershey Kisses!

Practicing a Heal

Your Choice - Resist Things Falling From the Sky (yeah sure...)

TROUBLE IN PARADISE....
This week we went to see a lot of friends and businesses. I was as usual - WELL BEHAVED. I don't understand why I got grounded!! Laying under the table, minding my own business.... NOT eating anything off the floor at PF Changs. (You agree with me this sounds like great behavior!). Well I got bored and chewed my vest off. Apparently I can't be naked in public. For me to be allowed I MUST be in my designated working clothes. I'm now grounded from the fun places. Even IMT! I'll be sad on Monday when I have to stay home. I guess I'll work on not chewing my clothing off.Check out more photos from Week #6